𝗚𝗢𝗟𝗗𝗜𝗘! 𝙥. 𝙟𝙖𝙘𝙠𝙨𝙤𝙣 ¹

Dragon Breath

CHAPTER FOURTEEN: LYDIA

"We will never make it," Zoe said. "We are moving too slow. But we cannot leave the Ophiotaurus."

"Mooo," Bessie said.

He swam next to them as they jogged along the waterfront. They'd left the shopping center pier far behind and were heading toward the Golden Gate Bridge, but it was a lot farther than they'd realized. The sun was already dipping in the west.

"I don't get it," Percy said. "Why do we have to get there at sunset?"

"The Hesperides are the nymphs of the sunset," Zoe said. "We can only enter their garden as day changes to night."

"What happens if we miss it?"

"Tomorrow is winter solstice. If we miss sunset tonight, we would have to wait until tomorrow evening. And by then, the Olympian Council will be over. We must free Lady Artemis tonight."

Or Annabeth would be dead. Lydia felt nauseous.

"We need a car," Thalia said.

"But what about Bessie?" Percy asked.

"We need a car with a giant tank in the trunk." Lydia said.

Grover stopped in his tracks. "I've got an idea! The Ophiotaurus can appear in different bodies of water, right?"

"Well, yeah," Percy said. "I mean, he was in Long Island Sound. Then he just popped into the water at Hoover Dam. And now he's here."

"So maybe we could coax him back to Long Island Sound," Grover suggested. "Then Chiron could help us get him to Olympus."

"But he was following me" Percy said. "If I'm not there, would he know where he's going?"

"Moo," Bessie said forlornly.

"I... I can show him," Grover said. "I'll go with him."

Lydia stared at him. Grover was no fan of the water, and he couldn't swim very well with his goat hooves. She thought he was really brave, and really stupid.

"Grover, that's the most idiotic idea I've heard." Lydia said. "But it just might work."

"I'm the only one who can talk to him," Grover nodded. "It makes sense."

He bent down and said something in Bessie's ear. Bessie shivered, then made a contented, lowing sound.

"The blessing of the Wild," Grover said. "That should help with safe passage. Percy, pray to your dad, too. See if he will grant us safe passage through the seas."

It didn't make sense how they could possibly swim back to Long Island from California. But with a god's help anything could be possible.

"Dad," Percy said. "Help us. Get the Ophiotaurus and Grover safely to camp. Protect them at sea."

"A prayer like that needs a sacrifice," Thalia said. "Something big."

Percy paused for a second. Then he took off his coat.

"Percy," Grover said. "Are you sure? That lion skin... that's really helpful. Hercules used it!"

"If I'm going to survive," Percy said looking at Zoe, "it won't be because I've got a lion-skin cloak. I'm not Hercules."

Lydia looked between them wondering what she missed but she decided it wasn't the time to comment. Besides, she figured that if she asked, she'd get a history lesson, and she didn't want that right now...

He threw the coat into the bay. It turned back into a golden lion skin, flashing in the light. Then, as it began to sink beneath the waves, it seemed to dissolve into sunlight on the water. The sea breeze picked up.